The Death of Uzumaki Naruto
by Redroseprincess678
Summary: Naruto attempts to commit suicide when he realizes how alone he is, rendering himself deaf and without his memories. Meanwhile, three others struggle through their confusion and try to win the broken blond's heart. SasuNejiGaaNaru in all orders. KakaIru
1. The Death 4:10:05

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did

Warnings: Suicide-attempts but no character-deaths, there will be lemons in later chatpers, and if you can't take kink, I suggest you either stop reading or skip the chapters.

SAKURA-FANS SCRAM! SAKURA-HATERS Welcome! and of course, YAOI-LOVERS COME! ;; oh, no, not in that way

Pairings: Sasu/Naru/Sasu, Neji/Naru/Neji, Sasu/Neji/Sasu, Neji/Gaa/Neji, Gaa/Naru/Gaa, Sasu/Gaa/Sasu Pretty much every1 fuks every1

Notes: Naruto's not gonna die, so if you're like some of my reviewers in fanfiction, I hope you leave without a flame. And keep in mind, this is slightly AU, so there IS a Konoha habor for transporting goods and such. The time-setting is 3-4 years later and Sasuke has been retrieved after two years and have lost the seal so he's good again so he's a bit OOC. And if you don't understand, this chapter is all from Naruto's point of view, therefore all coments or statements are in his imaginaiton when really nothing is happening on the outside.

TO FLAMERS WHO DO NOT USE THEIR BRAINS TO THINK-AND I'M SERIOUS

Look, some of you have flamed with very long and some not very smart reviews. So I'll explain.

For reviewer **Kitti**

NO Tsunade does NOT hate Naruto. NO ONE hates Naruto. He's just thinks they do because he is in a low point of his life-

and I don't care if you think Naruto will never be depressed, he IS a person and every person has their ups and downs.

And Naruto **does not** have TB. He has another RARE disease. And If you HAD continued reading the fic, you'll see that it is an UNKNOWN disease, therefore NOT tuberculosis.

And for your information, I don't have the manga version nor have I ever read it. It is the same as the anime version except for certain fillers. I am not a manga junkie and the only mangas I DO go crazy for is YAOI. Hardcore yaoi.

Hokage, if you know your grammar, is a title, but when I mention Hokage as THE tittle, it is a NOUN.

Naruto DOES not live in a one-room apartment, no one's ever SEEN it, they've only seen his "dining" area and his "sleeping" area which is seriously a bed in the corner of the room, so unless you have significant proof that he does live in a one-room apartment (like a authentic picture of the room with bed, table, kitchen and bathroom).

As for the DARKENING of the room, it is still all in his imagination-this is a visional piece so if you do NOT have a imaginative brain, please go to kindergarden and get one.

And as for Hinata going after Sasuke, there is no such thing. And if you actually watch the characters you can see that Hinata wants to change therefor after like six years or more since the Chuunin Exam, don't you think she would have changed and matured? Same for the other characters. Please read ahead if you do not understand what's going on.

And any other pairings such as Kakashi/Iruka are not of importance, nor is the fic centered on them. So get that imaginative brain and IMAGINE their romance yourself. Kaka/Iru is NOT a major pairing.

And have you EVER heard of romance? plot? conflict? This is NOT a one-shot, there is a REASON why people write books with a lot of pages or fanfictions with a lot of chapters. It's called a STORY, not a short story.

I'm usually calm, but you piss me off with your ignorance, is this your first fanfiction, Kitti? Is this your first story?

I was going to take this flame nicely at first, but your sarcasm is based on false facts and your criticism of my whole chapter shows that you do not understand my work. Therefore I apologize to you, you have wasted your time in reading what many others DO understand. And I am NOT a child so do not place false accusations on me.

ADDITIONAL WARNINGS: this is NOT a oneshot, NOT a pwp, NOT a screw-and-end-it-fic, so if you're looking for smut only, look elsewhere.

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The light of the morning broke through the thick curtains. The world started to wake, a happy atmosphere settling in. But for one Uzumaki Naruto, that happiness didn't include him. Slowly, he dragged his tired form out of bed. His room brightened up and the sun cast a shadow on his apartment floor. Naruto coughed, light specks of blood splattered his hand. His distant, dull, blue eyes stared at the tainted hands. Silence spreading throughout the apartment. Naruto was use to it, the quietness and the loneliness of being the kyuubi holder. He was familiar with the pain of not being loved, of having no one to care.

" Do you have anyone precious to you?"

In fact, he didn't. He didn't have anyone. And Haku was wrong. Being needed and wanted were two different things, one he could live without. Unfortunately, that one he could live without, wasn't the one he lacked. That's why he was dying. Slowly and slowly the harsh bits of reality scraped away at his soul. The happy spirit that usually took over at a depressing moment, the confidence of a new day did not come anymore. It was all broken when he realized on his birthday, that he had no one. Not Iruka. Not Sakura. Not even his rival, Sasuke. None of them belong to him. He couldn't call them friends or even comrades. Iruka had his own life as a jounin. And Sakura's hidden intentions were clear if your look closely. Sasuke of course hated him and only pitied him. The poor fool of a blond who thought he would ever be hokage. He was no one-he had no one. All alone in the world, and he did not give a damn. Not when he was 3, old enough to understand thoughts and speech. Not when he was 12, when he met his teammates. And certainly not now, three years after when he's about to die.

It didn't even matter what he did. How he fought during missions. Because he was going to die anyway. Naruto stood up from his bed, the blankets slipping from his form like water. The cold chill blowing from his open window didn't make it through to Naruto, He was too far gone, his mind a mile away. His heart gone for so long. What was a heart good for anyway? To love and to live. And he had will to do neither. He walked slowly to the door. His lanky figure moving in the empty room. He stopped, his hand on the knob. He turned slightly to where he had a good view of his bed. The sunlight twinkled and danced on his rumpled covers. The birds played around outside, oblivious to the hurting man inside. And for a moment, the quietness seemed peaceful. All the dark thoughts left for that small moment as he gazed at his bed and marveled at the stillness of it. Then death snuck in. The room darkened in his eyes. The bed sheets became dirtied, the nicely formed bed growing smaller and scratched, old age eating at the wood. The walls around started molding and cracks ran down the wall from the ceiling down.

Naruto watched with forlorn eyes as the room died. Closing his eyes he turned away and opened the door, the click registering in his mind. He never looked back as a tear ran down his cheek. He strolled to the bathroom, ignoring the cracks that escaped his room and marked his livingroom. Death spread like a plague through the whole house. He ignored the rusting of the metal frame of his mirror, the cobwebs rapidly forming in every corner. He ignored the stillness of the hanging towels and the look of things untouched for years. He laid down his toothbrush and cup, watching as they, too, died. The cup cracked and dirty and dust collected around it. Then his brush dusting with unknown brown stuff on the handle. With a lingering sad look, he left his bathroom, dressed in yesterday's clothes. And he left his quiet apartment. If walls could talk, they would see and feel; they would see the dark man leave and hear the quiet sobs of his soul. They would see the things that happen hidden from the public. Most of all, they would see the arriving death engulfing them. But alas, the walls will forever keep their secrets.

The pale boy walked down the streets, listening to the insults directed at him and of the curses of promising death like the morning jay's song. And yet Death still trudged after him. And Naruto could do nothing to stop it, he didn't want to.

Down to the hangout of his "friends", he agonizingly made his way. Laughter and playful banter reached his ear. Hidden behind a wall, he watched all his peers. Ino laughed and teased Sakura. She returned the favor. Shikamaru laughed at their silliness and Chouji munched on his chips and offered them to all. Sasuke, meanwhile, scolded. Obviously, the comment involved him. Then Kiba and Hinata told Sasuke to loosen up. Sasuke scolded again and muttered something. They all heard and laughed. Their two senseis joined. Kakashi with his arms around Iruka, chatting merrily. Sakura teased Iruka who blushed madly and babbled something. Everyone laughed. Iruka joined in.

All this, Naruto watched from afar. He saw how happy they were all together. How much fun they were having without him. He knew that if he took another step more, they would all stop and start to pick on him. Sakura would yell at him for being lazier then Shikamaru. Sasuke would call him a dobe and insult him. Kakashi would make an offending comment. Ino would just glare at him and silently think he was a monster. He knew all of them would be thinking that when they see him. He knew Iruka still thought the same about him. The monster who stole his parents to hand to Death on a silver plate.

Giving them a last glance and imprinting the image of his supposed friends and family into his mind. He left like he did to his apartment.

If you're going to leave, don't look back.

When had he heard that? Did it matter? As he walked down an alleyway he'd never been before, an old lady leaned out her window, a bucket in hand. Naruto felt the chill up his spine as soon as the cold, dirty water hit his head hard. The old lady started to apologize, then saw who it was and hmphed. He distantly heard her say 'You deserved it you dirty fox.' He shrugged it off, pushing aside the uncomfortable feeling of being wet to the bones. It'd happen sooner or later, anyway. He passed by an old beggar, near the exit of the pathway. He reached into his pants and drew out all the money he had. A picture of his friends caught his eyes. His face fell more and his heart sank lower. He quickly shut his wallet and threw it to the beggar, who caught it gratefully. Naruto nodded at him and went on his way. His eyes trained to the floor, ashamed of meeting anyone else's eyes. He felt so low. He couldn't even help a beggar with so little money. He didn't take in mind that the beggar could use what he was given to buy at least an apple. He didn't think.

Finally, he reached the end of the narrow alley. The sea air drifted pass him. He inhaled the thick scent of the salty waters. The seashore was empty. There was no one around. Satisfied, Naruto walked out. Meanwhile, the beggar opened the wallet and saw what the blond had, a picture of two people. A guy and a girl around the same age. He could only guess that something happened between them. He assumed the boy was in deep depression. The old beggar watched, with sympathizing eyes. So young for his age, the beggar thought. His dark gray eyes followed the teen who leaned on the railings, the only barrier to the sea.

Naruto stared out at the water. Often, when he didn't feel good, he would sneak away to here. Their village was pretty much surrounded by trees. But a little part of it lied by the sea. The clouds near this harbor were more full and whiter. They also moved faster, reforming before his eyes. The air was lighter and the silence was less stressing and hurtful. Today was no exception. He was alone out here near the large endless sea. His mind flashed back to his earlier years.

When he ran around playing pranks...

When he met Iruka. ..

When he failed his graduation exam...

What that bastard had told him about that rule segregating him...

When he met Sakura and Sasuke...

When he kissed Sasuke by accident..

How their relationship continued until it almost seemed like friendship-enough to fool him for a few years..

The missions they went one...the emotional struggles they each went through...

Haku and Zabusa..their love, their death...and Haku's words...

..precious someone...

Back to when he met others like Gaara, Kankuro and Temari...Kabuto and all his opponents...

He even reminisced Orochimaru.

Itachi and Kisame's attempted abductions of him...

When Sasuke had left and he went to get him back...

He remembered so much, so much he had to forget to move on. So much good memories despite the

bad situations. And all this didn't matter, because they all hated him. He was annoying, obnoxious, sneaky, stupid, ugly, clumsy and weak. He was a killer of many, and he was related to the death of their precious hero Yondaime. Konoha didn't welcome him, but kept him so he didn't hurt anyone else. They continuously showed him his status in society day by day. Even in his dreams he couldn't escape their gazes of hatred. But that didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

The beggar's eyes widened at the falling body. There was a loud splash. He ran over the railing in time to see the body sink to the bottom of the sea. He called for help, but no one came. So he stood there, watching the death of the one and only, Uzumaki Naruto.

The End.

REMEMBER! No character-deaths so chilllll, relax and watch the show. But review to let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions. Excuse the grammar or spelling mistakes if you find any, but if they bother you that much I'll fix them.

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	2. Findings 8:17:05

RRP: sooo sorry about the delay, I was gonna update weeks before, but I was too tired and lazy and didn't have much inspiration. So I decided yesterday to make it a slightly longer chapter in apology.

Warning: Yaoi, and possibly a little OOC

Disclaimer: noooo I dun own Naruto©, I'm just using them for my own sick pleasure ;)

**This is an edited version, the specific scenes I changed are when the "Sasuke's preference" part and a small change of when Kakashi comes in after Sasuke punches Naruto.**

Chapter Two: Findings

Dark blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. The bickering pair on each side of him took no notice. It annoyed him even more when Ino included him in her insult to Sakura. "At least I have a great figure unlike you. Chubby, flat-chested and a large forehead. You should think twice before chasing Sasuke. I bet he prefers breasts over chests!"

"Great figure?" Sakura taunted "You mean your scrawny body and fake boobs? And I'm sure Sasuke-kun likes someone with a brain that isn't the size of a pea!" The others laughed at their insults and reactions, which didn't help Sasuke. Being surrounded by a bunch of idiots and admirers wasn't his idea of a great afternoon. It was all Sakura's idea. It was a large group gathering to celebrate all the things that happened. Everyone they met over the years were invited, even the Sands. Unfortunately, Tazuna and his family were tied up in business and couldn't make it. Everyone else and the Sand, however, were there. What started as a great day later became a week. The Sand were coming in a few days and then they would have a great party, organized by Sakura also, but with the help of Chouji and Ino. Chouji ordered the food, Ino was in charge of the decorations and Sakura would arrange a place for their party to be. It was a little extravagant, but their achievements was a good enough reason.

The group had arranged to meet for this afternoon at the spot they've met at for the past year. It was a hot spot for the group after Shikamaru discovered it. It was perfect to have a little hang out before the big things took place. It had started out quietly before Kiba, Ino and Sakura arrived, followed by Lee and Shikamaru and Chouji. The rest came one after another and the chatter grew in volume.

"Jesus, Sasuke. Loosen up a little will ya. You look constipated with that face," Kiba said, grinning.

"Hai," Hinata added softly, "it would be good for your health."

Sasuke glared at him and replied darkly. "I'd appreciate if you didn't argue over my preferences of the female body."

"Yeah, I bet he doesn't even like girls. "Kiba grinned. Sasuke glared at him angrily. Sakura smiled and laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's okay, Sasuke. We don't care, we'll love you any way." "I don't!" he protested, but everyone just laughed.

"Hey, what's so funny?" a familiar voice asked in a lazy tone. Iruka and Kakashi came in sight, Kakashi's arm around Iruka. The two had been going out for four years already(for two years secretly until Naruto had caught them and screamed it to the town); since after the chuunin exam. There was a rumor that their relationship had recently moved up a step. The righteous school teacher had finally caved into his sexual frustration.

"Yo!" the strange jounin greeted as usual. "How's everyone been?" Sakura suddenly grinned. "We're doing fine, Kakashi-sensei, but I bet you're doing _way_ better then us." She nudged Kakashi who chuckled as his visible eye curved up. Iruka caught the meaning and blushed. "So, Iruka-sensei. How did you sleep last night?" She turned her teasing to Iruka. Iruka blushed harder. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura. Kakashi and I sleep in completely different beds!" He babbled while blushing. Everyone laughed again. Sasuke merely looked curiously at them as Neji smiled.

They continued teasing Iruka as he struggled to answer with as little dirtiness behind it as he could. After a while, Sasuke noticed something and looked around the group. Sakura, still next to him, noticed and turned from the group conversation with the teachers. "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Sasuke frowned when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Sakura..where's Naruto?" Sakura gasped in horror. "Oh no! I forgot to tell Naruto about the gathering!" Sasuke frowned in slight annoyance. How could she forget about the loud-mouth idiot? "I'll go get him," Sasuke offered, standing straight from his leaning position against the tree.

Just when he was about to leave, a wild-eyed homeless man suddenly ran towards them. He had a wallet open in his hand and kept glancing from it to the group. Spotting Sasuke and Sakura, he immediately ran over. The group stayed alert as the stranger approached in a frantic manner. "Miss, young man!" He halted and shoved the wallet in their face. "You have to help! This young boy-he's in danger-the wallet, he gave it to me-and then he-" Kakashi released his hold on Iruka and approached the man. "What young boy?" The homeless turned to him. "The boy-blond hair and blue eyes-with whiskers-no, not whiskers, scratches on his face."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, stepping forward. The homeless shook his head. "I don't know his name. He-he-I can't believe it, he just did it," he trembled helplessly and took a big breath.

"What about the blonde boy?"

"He jumped! I was by the harbor at the trading port. He just came around walking slowly. He gave me this wallet," he held it up, flashing the group picture, "and then he walked over to the railing and just kinda stared into the water. When I turned around to thank him, he just disappeared into the water. He's been down there for a while. I'm afraid he's hurt." Everyone immediately started, as if electrocuted. Sasuke grabbed the man. "Where is he?" he demanded. The man shook. "I'll show you, but we have to hurry." They all ran, following the poor and distressed man to the railing. The sea was swaying gently, in contrast to chaos in the air. Everyone stared into the water, trying to find any clue as to whether Naruto was still under water. Neji and Hinata activated their Bykugan as Sasuke activated his Sharigan. There was a moment of silence before Hinata suddenly pointed at a spot in the gently swaying waters and cried out, "There's something there! But the chakra is fading out." In a flurry of movement, Kakashi had shredded his weapons and jumped in. Everyone anxiously waited.

They also parted as Kakashi's silver hair came into view, holding in his arms a blue-lipped, deathly pale and limp Naruto. Dread weighed in everyone's mind. "Iruka!" "Hai!" Iruka reached out as Kakashi handed Naruto over. The chuunin gently set Naruto's body down on the wooden floor. Sakura and Hinata flanked him immediately and checked his pulse. Hinata shook her head. They set to work; Hinata pumped his chest as Sakura preformed CPR. After what seemed like a century, Naruto coughed and liquid spewed out. To their horror, blood followed the water and streamed out of Naruto's lips. Iruka grabbed Naruto as carefully as he could and sped off to the hospital.

White. That was what he saw when he opened his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if he was in heaven. Then his conscious kicked up. Why would he be in Heaven? He belonged in Hell. The next thing he noticed was the hands holding his when he tried to move. The person must have been a light sleeper. He/she shot up. He blinked his bleary eyes, trying to clear them. His pupils started to dilate and focus. Dark, almost crimson eyes stared back. His wavy vision shot around the room. Other than the person-a guy, there was no one. Suddenly, a man in a white coat followed by a nurse and a strange man with a eye patch ran in. They all started fussing over him and rambling things he couldn't hear. So he sat there and waited for them to shut up and the room to stop spinning. Then after what felt like an eternity, the white-coated man left, but the one-eyed man stayed. He seemed to mumble something and left. The dark boy and him were the only ones left. He waited for the boy to make the first move. But he didn't. Tired of their little staring contest, he went back to sleep.

Next, he woke up to silence as his vision slowly began to clear from his deep sleep. His eyes met a girl. He thought she looked pretty with strawberry pink hair and green sparkling eyes filled with unshed tears. For a moment he wondered who she was. Then he realized...he did not know his own name. Before he could ponder more, the girl put her arms around her. He was confused. What was the girl doing? Was she going to try to kill him? He was a little unnerved by her strange reaction. He held up his hands slowly then gently pushed her away. She moved away and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked like she couldn't decide whether to be worried, angry or hurt.

After a moment when she didn't speak, he turned away, looking around the room. He was wrong about the ceiling, it wasn't white but a light shade of blue. There was a window to his left and a table underneath the sill. A white object, it started with an "f" but his mind wasn't working at the moment; it sat in a glass container of water that sparkled. It called out to him and he found himself slowly reaching out for it. The green-eyed girl started and said something. Her lips moved, but no sounds came out. Deciding that something was definitely wrong with her, he turned away as movement to his right caught his eye.

Before he could react, something hard came down on him. Pain sprouted from his right cheek. The punch threw him off the bed and he landed painfully. He lightly touched the already forming bruise as his eyes traveled up to meet frightening red eyes. The boy he first saw when he woke up glared at him, fists clenched and body radiating anger. Two red dots in the eyes spun rapidly and eerily. It shot white, hot, blistering pain through his own chest. Fear racked his body. He couldn't understand why the boy was so angry with him, and he couldn't understand why the boy was hurting him. He woke up not knowing where he was, who he was, and why he existed. All he knew was pain. Did he exist only for this pain? Was he suppose to accept all the hits gratefully? His body trembled as the red uncanny eyes never left him, even as the green-eyed girl flung herself at the red eyed boy.

The eyes continued to spear him in a petrified state pinned to the wall in the corner. The glare intensified, hurting him more. He whimpered softly, unnoticed by either of the two other occupants. His body burned like fire. His body started to shake more violently, on its own, out of control. He curled into himself in the corner, watching the boy cautiously. He didn't want to see the boy and the girl. He didn't want to feel the pain. All he wanted was to go home, wherever home was. He just wanted to be alone, where no one could ever hurt him.

"Sasuke! Stop! Please, Sasuke-kun, he's hurt enough!" Sakura pleaded with her idol, friend and teammate. Sasuke ignored her, never looking away from the wide-eyed blond on the floor. He was furious, enraged-he wanted to murder the idiotic blond. What was he thinking pulling a stunt like that? How could he disregard the life Sasuke nearly killed himself to protect?

Kakashi and two nurses ran in. It took the jounin one glance to assess the situation. His normally calm face scowled at the dark boy, his lips obviously curled beneath his mask. But he did not say a word. Sasuke glared harder at the trembling childish boy even as one nurse tried to pull him out of the room. Sasuke growled. They didn't understand. Naruto was his best friend and his first real friend. He was everything to Sasuke. They shared so much happy times together. After he had fled to Orochimaru for three years, he had trained every day with Orochimaru. He had grown stronger in each battle and wiser each day. Until he had ended his contract with the snake controller, his mind had always been on killing Itachi and returning to Konoha. Then the fateful day came and he killed his superior who was mindless enough to train him so well, that he surpassed all of Sound, including Orochimaru himself.

A few months after, he had met Naruto again and they had one battle finale. It was a great battle. Naruto's own three years away from Sasuke had made him stronger, in hopes of saving Sasuke. Their skills were put to the test. The battle ended with childish nonsense when they met a draw. Using rock, paper, and scissor, Naruto won and fainted right after he softly replied, "I win."

Sasuke had stayed awake longer and thought. He decided to gain more strength against Naruto, and being that Orochimaru was one of the sanins who were almost unstoppable, his only choice was to return to Konoha with Naruto. No one trusted him for a month and he was followed day and night by Anbus for a year. The villagers had found out a year after Sasuke's disappearance and had been shocked and worried sicken about having the number one rookie on the enemies' side. Of course, they turned to the scapegoat, Naruto. But as Naruto wasn't there, they gave up blaming him and went back to their normal lives. When Sasuke returned, they had been overjoyed that Sasuke was "good" again.

Since their battle, Naruto and Sasuke had became closer. Sasuke demanded a match with Naruto everyday until they wore each other out. Their friendship continued a little shaky at first, but evened out. It took all their efforts to make it work, and now the baka was throwing it all away with suicide? Sasuke was sick and repulsed(with an under layer of concern for Naruto's reason for his actions) by the show of weakness. He growled as he took a step forward. Naruto flinched and tried to bury himself into the wall to avoid eye contact.

In one quick, swift movement, the dark boy grabbed Naruto by the hospital gown and pulled Naruto inches from his face. "You fucking better have a good explanation for this, moron.." Kakashi appeared between them and forced Sasuke to release the petrified blond. "Hold your anger, Sasuke. This is a hospital and Naruto is a patient who nearly died.. He is also your teammate and you can't hurt him." "I don't need to. He seems to have been doing that just fine by himself." Kakashi frowned. He still did not know the full situation and he couldn't believe without a hint of doubt that the bright-eyed, happy teen would just one day up and try to drown himself. The nurse outside had just been informing him that Naruto's lungs were clogged with water when he was bought in and he had a developing fever.

As if signaled to appear at that moment, the doctor ran in. He found his patient in the corner, shivering and in a fetal position. He knew instantly that they were a disturbance and ordered them out. Sasuke wouldn't move until Kakashi yet again forcefully pull him away. Dr. Higarashi motioned for the nurses to gently lift the unconscious boy and place him back on the hospital bed. He ordered one of them to get more blankets and medicine. The fever was rising, apparently. Once everything was settled, he went out to deal with the trio. He approached Kakashi and began his long explanation.

"Uzumaki-san is suffering from a fever. His throat is torn from the currents underwater but in a few days it should heal. He has a slight concussion on the back of his head where we suspect that he hit a rock on his way down. He is lucky he did not injure any body parts. However, he was drowned far enough down the ocean that his eardrums may be harmed. He will not be able to hear. We are not sure if it is permanent, but let's hope it's not. If ever he begins losing eye sight, let him sleep. Do not feed him anything from outside the hospital. Uzumaki-san seemed to have been starving himself too much and his digestive system has collapsed for the moment. He is being fed through a tube, until he recovers. We will be keeping him here for a few more months before he can leave. Any questions? Good. Look for me or one of my nurses if you need anything. Have a nice day." And he left, clipboard in hand.

It was silent in the hallways as the trio stood, wondering what they should do. "Sasuke-kun,..." Sakura started. Sasuke twitched and coldly brushed past her. Kakashi took that as a cue and disappeared in a puff of smoke. A nurse nearby scowled and swatted at the smoke. Sakura was left standing, wondering how it all ended up like this.


	3. Neji Sasuke Gaara Visit 6:16:06

RRP: SOOOOOO **SO** sorry about the extremely late update. Schoolwork and work have been getting in the way, and the finals and regents and all those shtty tests are FINALLY finished. Except for my chemistry regents sigh SO as an apology, I decided to make the chapter slightly longer than the last. And also:

1. I WILL be revising chapter one to make it longer and hopefully sadder.

2. The next chapter is something I'm unsure when it'll be done, I'll be going to China so I may or may not have enough time-but hey, I'll try to gather more info and interesting ideas so look forward to it.

3. The developing romance will be **slow** so I hope none of you are the impatient types that will leave just because the romance doesn't start soon.

4. I have a new fanfiction that will be posted soon with a Lee/Gaara/Lee pairing. AU and I guess you could say it's reasonably OOC.

5. If anyone has any ideas(i.e., lemon "instructions" or plot lines they want me to add) feel free to leave a comment.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto

Chapter: Neji, Sasuke and Gaara Visit

Gaara of the Sand rushed through the shrubberies, his siblings following behind, trying to keep up. They had been traveling for days on end and gotten little rest. Kankuro and Termari were both panting and grunting from the pain in their legs. Their last stop was a day ago in a village. That was 300 miles back. They were tired, but their youngest sibling seemed to be in a rush ever since they received a mission to Konoha. They had no doubt the demon-holder was thirsting for a fight with someone. Whether it was the handsome, stoic boy or the other demon-holder, they didn't know.

An hour later, Gaara stopped, halting the others. "Gaara?" Temari asked between pants. "Is something wrong?" There was a moment of silence, then he shook his head. But he didn't speak. After the Sasuke incident, he had been more silent then usual, lost in his own brooding. His actions were the only indication of what he wanted to say. Like now, as he sets down his gourd, they knew he meant rest-for them of course. Kankuro grunted a thanks and Temari nodded his head in appreciation. His little brother was a little less hostile, so he didn't feel much need to fear him.

The elder two of the sand nins sat down on the branches they were perched on to catch their breath. Gaara disappeared for a moment before returning with his flask in hand. He threw it at Temari who didn't say a word, but the appreciation was still there. She drank slowly before handing it to Kankuro who finished the rest. After twenty more minutes of rest and a little nap, they were off again.

Naruto woke up to the same thing again. Whitish blue. He never realized how dull the hospital was. It was still light out so he guessed he had slept for only a few hours after his encounter with that boy. It baffled him why the boy reacted to him that way. Briefly he wondered if it was something he did that he couldn't remember.

There was a movement and Naruto immediately shot his head toward the door, his eyes wide and his breath becoming labored. For a moment he was afraid it was that boy again, coming back to finish what he started. But only the kind face of a nurse met him. She simply smiled and set down the tray of food on a movable table. She then walked over to check his chart. The feeding tube had been taken off a while before and the doctor had said he was well enough to eat a small amount of food.

The boy had slept for two days already, though he did not seem to know it. With a sad little smile, she walked next to him. She was one of the few staff members in the hospital that did not hate him. She didn't blame him for what happened nearly 17 years ago. And she was never one to hold a grudge.

He jerked back as she reached for him. Her eyes softened sympathetically and moved slowly to pat him. With a violent twist of his body, Naruto was on the ground where he fell. The nurse gasped and immediately ran around the bed to hold him. Ignoring his whimper, the nurse-Nurse Kyoko, gently set him on the bed. She fluffed his pillow and nudged him back in a reclining position before covering his legs with the blanket. After checking his vitals, she gave him one last smile and left.

Naruto stayed silently for a moment, staring at his plate of supposed food. His nerves were still on edge from the sudden touch. An image of a fiery black-haired nin flashed in his mind and he flinched. Yes, he deserved the punishment for whatever he did. Even though he couldn't remember, he knew it had to be bad to rile the pretty boy. He felt almost sorry, . . . whatever he did he wished he could remember.

"HAI, GAI-SENSEI!" Three voices chorused. The addressed man smiled and flashed his embarrassing pose. "Good job my students, I see the spring of youth has not left you!" His teeth flashed. "Go home and get some sleep. You must take good care of your body. Rest well and we will meet again tomorrow for our next mission."

"Hai, Gai-sensei!" the students saluted.

Tenten turned homebound. Lee did as well when Gai disappeared. Neji, sighing slightly under his breath, walked toward the hospital. He had to pick up Hinata and some healing salve for the bruise he got when a boulder hit him during the mission.

A year after Naruto kicked his ass, he finally sat and thought about his life, his friends and teammates, and his family. He realized then that it wasn't Hinata's fault for being born in the Main House. Nor was it her fault he was born in the Branch. He had begun, after that revelation, to rectify his ways. Though not much else had changed about him, it was progress.

After a few distances, Neji finally made it to the hospital. The nurse at the counter greeted him as usual and went to retrieve the healing salve he asked for. Meanwhile, he headed for the room he knew Hinata was in. On his way, his eyes followed the names until one caught his attention. 'Uzumaki, Naruto?' Neji hadn't had time for the past few days to come and see how Naruto was doing. He heard from Sakura the day after the incident that Naruto wasn't fairing too well. She had said that Naruto was deaf and nearing blindness.

Neji paused in a mid-knock. He rethought his action and instead, slowly opened the door. Naruto was sleeping, cocooned in his blanket and curled up like a child. Neji frowned lightly at the pale and fragile appearance of his friend. He heard what had happened with Sasuke just before he left for his mission. He sympathized with Sasuke. He wondered though how the dark pale ninja must be feeling now. Like Shikamaru, Neji was very observant. He saw what the two had meant to each other. Naruto always had a brightness in his eyes, as if he knew there was hope for everything and everyone. But after meeting Sasuke for the second time to fight, when Naruto had finally won, his light in his eyes started to diminish. Neji never understood why it happened, but when Naruto didn't show any signs of being depressed, Neji had left him alone. Maybe getting Sasuke back was a goal he had hoped to cultivate and use as a reason to train hard. Or, Neji had reasoned, he had felt bad for not bringing Sasuke home uninjured.

Then Neji's mind led him back to a time when he had seen Naruto in a similar position. On one particular mission, Naruto had been exhausted despite his known stamina after three days of hiding and attacking the enemies in near guerilla-like methods. They had rented a two-bed room in a hotel before heading home. Naruto had collapsed on his bed after his shower. And with only a towel around his waist, he had fallen asleep, his cover half-thrown over him. When Neji had returned from his own shower, he had looked over at the blond and had immediately froze. Naruto had looked so pure, so angelic and captivating. The quilt wrapping around his body, his hand thrown over his head and legs askew, Naruto truly did look heavenly. And, to Neji's reluctance, he had to admit, Naruto was very hot.

Neji shook his head to clear his thoughts. Slowly, he closed the door and walked to the end of the bed, grabbing the clipboard to scan through it. "Uzumaki Naruto. Age 16. Bday 10/10. Parents Orphaned. Sex Male. Status, no allergies or heretic illnesses . . . suffering from depression . . . drowned himself . . . temporarily or permanently deaf. Corneas are dilated and may turn blind with stress . . . " The explanation of Naruto's health kept on until something circled in red on the next page stopped him. It was listed under confidential. "Unknown disease. Comments: Previous visits has shown worsening conditions. Uzumaki is at the critical stage and must receive help." And underneath the brief commentary was signed by Dr. Hatsu. Suddenly, Naruto whimpered. Neji lifted his eye and immediately met sky-blue eyes. "Naruto." He acknowledged the now conscious blond.

Naruto froze. There was another strange boy in his room. Who was he? Was he going to hurt him like the other boy? When the boy looked up, he shuddered. There were no pupils. This boy's skin was pale, though not paler than the other. His hair was long and looked silky. His build wasn't too muscular or skinny and he was a bit taller than Naruto. But what really bothered him was the slight familiarity he felt with him.

Neji said something and shifted. Naruto whimpered. 'No, don't come closer!' In his mind he roared, his nerves suddenly alert for any action from the teen. He didn't want to be hit again. He didn't want the pain anymore. He was wrong. He wasn't born just for pain. He wanted to leave, to go home finally. He knew he couldn't, in account that he had no idea where his home was and what condition it must be since he hadn't returned yet-did he forget to close the door? Maybe it was to shut the tv? Or the faucet? He didn't remember, but he had a feeling he left something in that house he should really get to. Something that was waiting for him, needed him. Something that was small, but held some form of safety.

His vision suddenly became blurry, making him panic even more. His body lost control and he practically lurched off the bed. In a blink, the long-haired boy was beside him, a hand reaching out to catch him. Naruto screamed as his body impacted into the other. Part of him realized that Neji's embrace was warm and his eyes shone with his concern. To Naruto's panicked, erratic thoughts and the overwhelming fear, the embrace was like Death's coming to get him. In his struggle against the shocked Neji, all the potential dangers outside rushed to him. What if a stray dog attacked him? What if he met a robber one day? Or a rapist? What if others didn't like him? What if everyone was like the pale boy from before, if they wanted to hurt him?

Neji grunted as Naruto managed to uppercut him. He quickly caught and trapped Naruto's wrists in his hands. And to his surprise, a few seconds later, Naruto calmed down. However, what followed wasn't pleasant. Naruto began to gasp, his eyes were blank. Fear gripped Neji's heart when Naruto's pupils began to dilate until they almost disappeared. Then Naruto's gasps slowly quieted down and his body became limp.

"...N-Naruto? Naruto! NARUTO!"

The next few hours seemed to pass by like seconds. Nurses and doctors rushed in. Stretchers zoomed in and out, left and right. There were shouts and then the thump of a body falling on the bed. Hinata rushed in. Seeing Neji, she escorted him out. She sat him on a chair outside the room. Before she could leave, Neji grabbed her arm. "Is he going to be all right?" Hinata smiled. "Hai, he'll be fine. I'll make sure of it," her voice filled with confidence and determination. Then she rushed back in.

An hour later, the chaos died down. A tired Hinata came out and sat next to Neji. She looked paler than usual and drained of energy. Her eyes were a little sad and Neji was almost afraid to ask her. Seeing his discomfort, she smiled assuring at him. Moments later, she began to speak. "Naruto-kun is healing slowly. He breathed too hard and accidently ripped his throat. He passed out from the pain. Neji-kun, what were you doing with him?" Her voice wasn't accusing in any way.

"I was on my way to visit you and decided to visit Uzumaki. He woke up when I was checking his status. Did you know he was depressed? " Hinata looked sad. Neji decided not to tell her about the unknown disease part, she might worry more. "When he saw me, he jumped off the bed and I caught him. He started to struggle and his eyes went blank before he passed out."

"Aa. Dr. Hatsu said that Naruto-kun's hormones are very erratic because of the painkillers they gave him, it would be best to leave him alone for a while. Maybe you should go home, Neji-kun. You look tired."

"You do also. Are you all right?"

"Hai. I'm taking an early leave today. It took a lot of chakra to heal Naruto-kun's throat."

"I'll wait for you at the front desk."

"Ok."

The nurse at the front desk handed Neji his salve before he left with Hinata. Their walk home was silent. They parted after a while. Last year, after Neji had turned 18, he decided to move out of the Hyuuga House to live on his own. Although his uncle disapproved of it, Neji used his own money to move to the other side of town. He now had his own house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, one average sized living room, a sizable kitchen, and the woods as his backyard, which he converted into a training ground.

Lee, Tenten, and Gai occasionally dropped by to say hello or stay over after a group mission. Naruto used to come by also. To Neji's great surprise and pleasure(not that he would admit it) Naruto lived only a block away. With Naruto, Sasuke would also come and sometimes even Sakura. Around this time last year In July everyone met for the Tanabata festival at his house. Although Neji liked his peace and personal time, he never minded the visits. Sometimes on missions, Neji would even let someone look after his house, usually Naruto or Hinata. He rarely allowed Lee to help water his plants. The last time was when Lee had thought the plants were REALLY thirsty and Neji came back to the sight of his plants nearly drowned. Tenten lived too far away.

Two days after his visit to the hospital, a messenger nin appeared in front of Neji during his training with a request for a meeting with the Hokage. Neji accepted and met Tsunade that afternoon. When he got there, he caught sight of a familiar head of hair. He wasn't really surprised. After all, Sand and Leaf were allies now. Though, Neji was a little disconcerted. The sand only came for an S class mission or when there was a threat to their alliance. Then he remembered Sakura's planned gathering and pushed the matter to the back of his mind. "Hokage-sama," he greeted his leader upon his arrival.

"Hyuuga. I heard what happened. Is he ok?"

"He is fine, just ripped his throat a bit."

Tsnuade looked relieved. She sighed and mumbled under her breath, "Damn brat, worrying me to hell." Then she looked up at her guests. "Hyuuga, I believe you know the Kazekage. He will be staying with you for the duration of his visit. He was originally going to stay with the brat, but because of the situation, he will have to stay with you. Do you consent?"

"Aa."

"Good. You are dismissed. Kazekage-sama, I hope you enjoy your stay."

Gaara nodded his thanks and followed Neji out the door. The genius led them back to his apartment and showed Gaara to one of his spare bedrooms. Out of curiosity, he asked "I just saw your siblings, who are they staying with?" Gaara gave the room an approving once over before glancing at Neji. "The quiet dark girl and the dog boy." Neji nodded. He guessed that Temari was with Hinata and Kankuro with Kiba. "Please feel at home. Dinner will be at seven." He neglected to ask Gaara to stay silent, not like he talked much anyway. He then left Gaara to rest.

However, the redhead had anything but rest in mind. He left what little belongings he had with him and left in search of his opponent. He arrived in less than a minute to Naruto's door and knocked. When he received no answer, he tried the knob and found it unlocked. Distantly he reminded himself to tell Naruto to remember to lock his door.

The apartment was quiet and had a sort of clean-messy look. The plants around the window seem to be dying as if unkept for a few days. The clock on the wall ticked rhythmically, but otherwise there were no other sounds. Gaara moved toward what he guessed was the bedroom. He also found the inside empty. The futon was obviously used however, which assured Gaara that Naruto was not on a mission. He quietly exited again and searched the rest of the apartment. He found no notes, no planner or any indication of where Naruto might be. Finally he decided to look elsewhere.

Nearing six, Gaara had still not found any trace of Naruto. Instead, he found someone else. A dark brooding black-clad (A/N: I believe after he joined Orochimaru, he wore black? I saw that somewhere.) young man. Uchiha Sasuke walked silently up the street. Gaara decided against calling out or stopping Sasuke, it would seem out of character. So he followed the Sharingan-holder instead. Sasuke was languidly walking, but his movements showed anger, concern and frustration. His figure was slouching over, hands disappeared in his pockets. He finally arrived at the hospital.

There was a low hum of activity, but no one payed much attention to him, or Gaara, who entered five paces behind. Instead of heading toward the reception area, Sasuke walked right into the hospital corridors and stopped in front of a door. He seemed to pause, as if thinking really hard. Then he went in. Gaara followed, walking of the corner he was hidden around. He came up to the door and glanced at the doorplate once before fully turning to it. UZUMAKI NARUTO. Ah, so that was where he was. A tinge of concern nipped at him, but he ignored it and opened the door. The nipping became bites.

Sasuke was sitting on one of the two chairs next to Naruto's bed. The said youngster was unconscious on the hospital bed, his body frail and face troubled in his sleep. There was also a slight change in his aura and chakra that Gaara could detect. Naruto had a few tubes connected to his arm and a bandage to his head around his ears.

"What happened to him," was the first thing that popped out of his mouth.

Sasuke jerked around. His back had been to the door when Gaara entered. He must have been thinking too deeply to notice the Kazekage's entrance. After a brief moment, he answered the other. "He drowned." Gaara frowned. A ninja doesn't drown, he must have been really hurt to not remember to use chakra on water. Sasuke saw the doubt and ignored it, turning back around to stare at his stupid, but (secretly) beloved teammate. Gaara stepped next to Sasuke, facing the napping form of the kyuubi-holder. They stayed silent, both watching the usually loud-mouth nin. As the sun began to set, Gaara promptly disappeared in a swirl of sand. Sasuke remained oblivious, only watching the blond and trying to understand why. Why would his best friend and one of the most respected ninjas try to commit suicide? Was he being controlled? His thoughts whirled around in his head.

Not long after, a nurse came in and informed him visiting hours were over.


	4. Gaara’s Personal Touch 1:27:07

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto's kawaiiness, I do not own Sasuke's smexines, I do not own Neji's awesomeness, I do not own Gaara's kinkiness, and I do not own any of the Naruto characters…maybe in a different dimension I do.

RRP: I am sooo incredibly sorry. I was suppose to update a long while ago. I even told one of my dear reviewers I would the last vacation I had. / But finals came up with a lot of crappy homework. Nevertheless, I decided I would make it up this vacation, as much as I can in the middle of all my projects. I realized some of the characters have been OOC, so I'm going to work on fixing that in the meanwhile and try to gather enough info to successfully edit my first few chapters.

**WARNING: **I need to know if most of you or any of you mind yuri, I was thinking along the lines of Temari/Hinata

THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!

CHAPTER FOUR: Gaara's Personal Touch

Neji barely flinched when Gaara appeared unannounced in the livingroom, only continuing to set the table. On a normal night, that is, pre-Gaara times, he would have grabbed Lee and gone out to eat. His evenings would have been filled with loud chatter from his former teammate and current best friend (or rival-Lee still loved to boast about their relationship). They would have talked about the latest missions, strange sights, and sometimes even talk about the gossip going around the village ("I heard Kakashi-san and Iruka-sensei were caught in the act in one of the changing rooms in MokoMoko Moeko's Lingerie Store by Kurenai-san." "Eehh, Gai-sensei found them last week out in the training grounds." "Training ground? What were they doing there? I didn't know Kakashi took on a new genin team." "Me neither.") It felt weird for Neji to eat at home for the first time in three months., and in total silence. Gaara was never known to be a conversationalist. Which was why Neji was a little surprised when Gaara spoke in the middle of eating.

"Why did Naruto drown?"

Neji twitched. The redhead stared at him expectantly, chopsticks and bowl on the table. His face remained unreadable but there was genuine curiosity in his voice. Neji hesitated in answering. A part of him wanted to give Naruto privacy, after all, what right did he have to expose Naruto's dilemma to an outsider? But Neji rethought his decision, Gaara was a close friend, close enough to invite him to their little meeting (the meeting that was postponed to a later date, with obvious reason). Setting down his bowl, Neji straightened up. Not known to beat around the bush, Neji stated simply, "He tried to commit suicide a few days ago."

Gaara's eyes widened a bit. The revelation was completely unexpected. If he were any other person, he would have violently pushed back from his seat and demanded loudly for an explanation. Instead he calmly asked. Neji shook his head uncertainly. "We assume he had some unresolved issues. I will be visiting him tomorrow. You are welcome to accompany me." After a few moments, Gaara nodded slowly. Dinner resumed in silence.

The next day Naruto was much calmer, almost lethargic. Hinata was worried. Based on how he reacted to Neji, she wasn't sure how he would react once he left the hospital. If he returned home alone, he could hurt himself. But at this point, if he returned with anyone, he'd be too scared to move a step and might run away. In a lethargic state he would be the most safe, but he couldn't stay on the medication-that'd be too dangerous and he would eventually become a drug-addict. Gnawing at her lips, Hinata peeked at her blond childhood crush from the gap in the door. She was startled from her observation by a familiar voice.

"Hinata?" Hinata spun around, her hand springing to clinch her shirt near her chest.

"A-ah, Neji-kun. Don't scare me like that." Neji gave her a slightly amused look. To his left stood Gaara. Hinata bowed to the kazekage, who nodded in greeting.

"How is he?"

"We put him under sedation…Neji-kun, I'm afraid Naruto won't be fit enough when we release him. He gets panicked every time someone comes close."

"When is he being released?"

"He is healing much faster than we thought, but we're not sure. If he continues to hurt himself he will be here for four weeks at most and under heavy sedation. If he remains calm we have to release him next week. Because Naruto-kun wasn't harmed during a mission, we can't keep him for long."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him." At Hinata's lack of change in expression, Neji smiled reassuringly. While they were speaking, Gaara moved over to the gap at the door and peered in at his blond friend. Quietly, he asked the medic-nin, "Can we see him?" Hinata hesitated before answering. "You can try, Gaara-san, but he won't be recognize you and may panic. Naruto-kun… has a very strong immune system, drugs don't work for long on him. Just be careful and make all your movements slow."

"What happened while I was away?" Neji frowned.

"I heard that Sasuke-kun punched Naruto-kun when he woke up. Naruto-kun passed out from a fever afterwards."

Neji's frown deeper. "He must have been very distraught." _That damn Uchiha._ Hinata didn't answer. She knew of her cousin's feelings for Naruto, and she had a feeling Sasuke felt the same. Neji never fully trusted Sasuke after his return, he still had some doubts. And after discovering from Hinata that Sasuke may be a potential love rival, he continued to act civilly towards the Uchiha in public, but when anything that concerned Naruto came up, Neji became overprotective. Of course, Naruto being the dense ninja he was, didn't notice the change in his friends.

Meanwhile, Gaara carefully entered the room. Naruto remained sitting in bed, leaning against his pillow, blanket over his lap and part of his abdomen, and face turned toward the window listlessly watching some sparrows fly around each other. After six seconds of a delayed reaction, Naruto's head turned slowly toward the new arrival. His eyes were blank circles of blue. He blinked four times, then widened his eyes and in a panic scrambled back, nearly falling off his bed. Gaara immediately stepped forward to catch him in case he fell.

Ignoring Naruto's attempt to press himself into the wall and hide behind his blanket, Gaara approached the bed's edge, stopping just three feet away from Naruto's trembling form. Blue eyes fearfully watched green ones. Silence reigned for a long time, neither Naruto nor Gaara moving nor blinking. The only sound (to Gaara's ears) was the heavy panting of Naruto. Gaara thought he should have felt something, listening to Naruto's panting, but he wasn't sure what. Unconsciously, he leaned forward slightly. The movement did not go unnoticed by Naruto who flinched.

_What does he want? Is he going to hurt me? No, NO! _Naruto nearly cried out as Gaara reached out to touch him, but he was afraid to make any noise to aggravate his throat. His muscles tensed. If the boy hurt him, he will attack back. He'd had enough of acting weak. If they think they can continue to hurt him, they're wrong. He wasn't born to feel pain, something inside him told him that. He deserved better, whatever the worse was. He glared at the newcomer, remaining tightly merged with his pillow behind him and blanket clenched in his hand. However, Gaara remained undaunted. Gently, he smoothed his fingers over the black and purple cheeks. He wondered what happened but didn't speak.

Naruto blinked in surprise. The touch was so soft, almost tender. Against his will, his body leaned into the hand. The fingers rubbed up and down his cheeks, slowly trailing to his neck and repeated the motion. Gaara didn't know what he was doing, it felt as if a force was moving him to caress the blond. The room was drenched in complete silence by this time. Gaara was oblivious to the breathing pattern of the boy in front of him, all he saw was the contact between his fingers against silk-soft, though bruised, skin.

The door suddenly opened, Neji's trailing voice saying goodbye to Hinata. Gaara immediately yanked his hand away and abruptly cross the room to stand in front of Neji. Without a word, he passed by a surprised Neji and left. He ignored the call of his name, his mind in jumbles. Why did he do that? He didn't have…feelings for Naruto, did he? Thoroughly confused for the second time in his life, the first being at the Chuunin Exam, Gaara escaped to the only he knew where he could think in silence.

To be Continued…

Sooo **incredibly** sorry that it it's so **incredibly** short.

Review and please don't forget to answer **whether** **you mind Temari/Hinata**.


	5. Confusion, Fears, and Realization 4:9:07

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto & co. I really, REALLY don't. All rights of the character belong to the original writers. However, the story IS mines, and if anyone steals it or plagiarizes it, I WILL hunt you down and skin you alive…if I'm not too lazy.

**Author's note:**Sooo, as an apology for the short chapter last time, I decided to post this as soon as I was done. It is NOT edited so there is bound to be mistakes and **I beg you to tell me if there is any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

So there is a few things:

1. **Despite the overall votes, there will NOT be Temari/Hinata. More than one of you has objected so I will avoid controversy by leaving the topic. The two will only be friends if not even. **

2. THANK YOU for all the reviews and votes and I hope my fan fiction will satisfy most of you. (Here's me wishing most of you aren't hungering for yuri or more Tem/Hina fics)

3. I realized one of my flamers before was right, I never did post what pairings I would have up other than the main ones. So, as late as it is, here they are:

**Pairings that will/have already appear(ed):**

1. Kakashi/Iruka

2. Platonic (no sex) and light romance between Kiba/Hina, which will become Kan/Kiba(and there will be physical love -) I might make it a threesome with Shino

3. Kotetsu/Izumo(not sure I spelled their names right..hm..)

4. Considering Shika/Chouji but not sure

If anyone has any suggestions, please voice them in your reviews.

Chapter 5: Confusion, Fears, and Realization

After the disappointing visit with Naruto, Neji left. Hinata waved off his offer to treat her to lunch and told him she would be staying in to eat with Naruto. Hearing that, and also of Naruto's mellow attitude towards the medic, he left knowing that the blond would be alright. Without anything else to do, Neji decided to get a little training done before another mission came up. Originally, because Neji was already a Chuunin, as was Lee, and Tenten was a jounin herself, their missions had been separate and with other ninjas. The last mission, perhaps and other potential upcoming ones, was an exception. Apparently, their client was a highly skittish one, preferring to have four ninjas for hire instead of the usual three, and he paid a lot of money extra. Gai had enthusiastically volunteered to accompany Neji and Tenten. Lee, upon finding out, decided it would be a great chance to be like old times.

And it was-if one overlooked the attacks from a group of missing-nins at night, the traumatized town left behind, the huge gaping hole in the middle of said town (which the nins heard would be converted into something useful), and the multiple mutilated bodies littering the floor somewhere in the forest. The efficiency of the teamwork, the exasperation of Tenten and Neji at the other two, and their accomplishment of yet another mission was the same.

Upon arriving at his usual training spot, Neji found Lee waiting for him. "Good morning, my youthful friend!" By this time, Neji had grown used to the rather odd way that the two bowl-haired, black-headed, and thick-eye-browed males he previously called team mate and teacher spoke. Coolly, he replied, "Good morning, Lee. Is there something you needed?"

"Ah yes. I would very much like the honor of sparring with you again. I miss the old days."

Neji smiled. "Of course. Weapons or hands?"

"Weapons. I'm still a little weak at using weapons." Lee moved back a few feet and got into his trademark stance, legs apart, one hand behind resting against his lower back and the other palm up at a slight angle and facing his opponent.

An unspoken agreement was made, then the spar started. In a fury of punches, kicks and dodges the two males attacked each other to start off the fight. When one of Lee's punches came too close, Neji immediately pulled back, leaping nearly across the field. When airborne, Neji grabbed two kunais and launched them at the ninja on the ground. Lee flipped back away. The two landed at the same time and simultaneously grabbed kunais from their pouches. They clashed in the center of the field.

Meanwhile, Gaara sat in the comforts of his hotel room. The shades were closed to block out the sunlight and noise, the door was safely locked, and Gaara was calmly sitting in a corner. The redhead mulled over the events of the past few hours. So far, he'd gather four things:

1. Naruto tried to drown himself.

2. Someone hurt Naruto.

3. Naruto did not remember him.

4. He REALLY liked touching Naruto.

Gaara was no long sure of what to do. The first fact he found out was disturbing enough, he didn't need to know that the first boy to ever beat him did not even remember him and that he now has some feelings towards that boy. And then the fact that someone hurt the boy he thinks he actually may like in the more-than-a-friend-way is really starting to piss him off. But then, the confusion of it all crashed down on him.

When had he begun to like Naruto in _that_ way? Hell, they just barely became friends if one considered the little amount of time they spent together in between the missions and kazekage work. Did he even like Naruto in that way for sure? It wasn't like he'd ever had a girlfriend or boyfriend (was he even gay? Bi?). He'd never felt the way he had when he was touching Naruto. He knew, however, that there was a deep craving inside him that wanted to touch the blond again, to be near him and to learn about him. Maybe all this was the result of the accumulating lack of social contact in his life. As close as he had gotten to his siblings, they weren't touchy touchy people to begin with. The way he feels, it may be a normal occurrence for someone in their first friendship.

Deciding he needed help, Gaara stood up and left the room, looking for someone who may have the answers. But who?

Elsewhere two ninjas panted, exhausted from their spar. It hadn't ended, however- just mellowed out to be more of a practice session. Neji grunted when Lee's kunai made contact with his.

"You seem distracted, Neji. Are you feeling well?" Lee swung his leg in an overhead kick.

"I'm fine…I'm worried about Naruto." Neji ducked.

"Ah yes, I am too. Is he all right?" Lee threw a kunai.

"Hinata says he is doing okay." Neji threw his own to stop the incoming kunai.

"I'm disappointed in him, to tell you the truth." Lee drove for a punch.

"What?" Neji was so surprised he almost didn't side-step the attack.

Lee's punch went past the brunette. Sighing, Lee dropped his arms and looked sideway at his former teammate. "I didn't expect Naruto to do that."

"None of us did," Neji reminded him.

"Yes, but that's not what I meant. I knew Naruto wasn't the happiest person. No one's that optimistic, not even me. We all have our problems, Neji, but Naruto was such a strong person. At least, that was what I thought. He wasn't just strong physically. He always had this inner strength that everyone who encountered him admired. Naruto and I have a similar youthful spirit that always keeps us strong so I understand his determination to beat Sasuke. But what Naruto did on that day…I'll only say that it must have been something really bad to have broken his youthful nature. I don't understand it since I don't know what happened, but we all knew that Naruto had problems, especially in his past. And his youth has always helped him overcome them. I didn't think this time would be different. So I'm a little disappointed at Naruto for letting a weakness nearly end his life. Life should not be wasted like that. Life is precious, no matter what happens."

Neji didn't know how to reply. Lee had a reason to feel the way he did, he supposed. He was also very logical in his reasoning. Neji himself had expected better also, but he wasn't Naruto who may have had a reason. But what could've drove Naruto to the edge? What was so important or so devastating that Naruto would want to kill himself? None of Naruto's friends were hurt and he had no parents to worry about in the first place. None of the villagers have really insulted the blond, especially under the leadership of Tsunade who loved Naruto like her son.

Suddenly, Neji realized why Sasuke reacted the way he did. He was as confused as Neji. Neither of them understood why the blond would wanted to hurt himself. They both loved him were afraid. Sasuke must have panicked, not understanding or comprehending what was wrong with Naruto. What they were both scared of the most was why, why did he do it? Was it something they did or didn't do? Stumped, Neji could only stare at Lee.

The other youth smiled a little weakly. "But I'm sure Naruto will be fine. Despite what he tried to do, I have faith in him. I know he will pull through somehow. And whatever problems he has, we'll be there to help. We just have to trust in his youth. Gai-sensei always said, the fire of youth never dies as long as there is support from friends and loved ones."

Neji nodded. "Yes, I will never leave his side. WE will never leave him." _I love him too much._

TBC

**Give me your opinions on the following pairings:**

**Shika/Chouji**

**Kan/Kiba or Kan/Kiba/Shino**

**Gai/Lee o.O (need some budding issues to help Naruto through his choice to stay with all three males)**

**And offer any suggestions. Take in mind, other than Kiba/Hinata which is platonic, I don't tolerate heterosexual aka male and female couplings.**

**REVIEW!!**

**And, does anyone think Lee seems out of character/ **


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